Still Bill (2010)

Best movie ever!

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

This guy, Bill Withers, is an example of how to be happy with yourself and your life. He is serene, content and relaxed with who and what he is and his place in popular culture. he has written a few absolutely classic popular songs and seems unaware of just how good he is and they are. He imparts a lesson to his contemporaries and his admirers of how to conduct a career. Do good work and sit back and relax about it. His modesty is in no way false or disingenuous , it is just the way he is. Withers is the genuine article and he comes across as someone you would like to spend time with given the chance. He seems incredibly wise and in tune with himself. His assessment of the "suits" he encountered when he went looking for a record deal is straight to the point and razor-sharp accurate. I love that he has a low-key but comfortable life due to the superb catalogue of great songs with which he has graced the world. This is one of the best documentaries about a musician and his life I have seen.

Still Bill (2009) *** (out of 4) Candid documentary about soul singer Bill Weather's who is best known today for the classics "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine" but just as his career was taking off he decided to leave the business and take care of his family. This is a pretty fascinating documentary on many levels but the biggest is probably just the fact that everyone knows a song like "Lean on Me" yet they might not realize who sings it or whatever happened to him. This documentary runs 78-minutes and it really tries to explain what Withers has been up to in the twenty-three years since his last album. Withers discusses why he walked away from the business, the issues he had being popular and we also learn some darker things including his work with stuttering children, which he was one of when he was younger. In the film's most touching moment Withers is being honored for his work with stuttering kids and he finally breakdowns, which is extremely heartfelt and especially his message for the kids. We also deal with his music as he explains what he has been up to all these years and we also hear from his daughter who herself was trying to get into music. The cameras are also there as Withers plans on getting back in the studio for a Spanish song. Fans of Withers are certainly going to enjoy seeing this look at his life because you really do get a great idea of who the man is and it's clear that he has a certain integrity that would be hard to find in the business. The way he just walked away from the money and spotlight because he didn't have anything to say can be greatly admired as is the work he does for those who suffered as he did as a child. We get clips from live performances, TV shows as well as a tribute concert. STILL BILL still leaves a few questions unanswered and at times it goes slightly off the rails but this is still an impressive film worth watching.

I'll make it short and simple: If you want to watch a well done documentary, you've come to the right place. This film is very delicately crafted and grades highly on many aspects. First of all, the soundtrack of the movie is, as expected, simply beautiful. As a musician myself, I can only admire some of the scenes where you can just see the pure talent Bill possesses. Asides from that, it is an inspiring film about the human nature and the struggling journey of one individual through life, seeking recognition and later on - knowing just when to stop. I didn't know Bill Withers' biography prior to watching this and was very intrigued to learn about his life and insights (lets just say that he was a very very late bloomer). I give it a 9 out of 10, if only because it was such a delightful surprise, as I didn't know what to expect.

There is plenty of sunshine when this film is on. We have all heard his music, no matter what age you are, and sing along to his songs. This film is about the life of 70's musician, Bill Withers. I really loved this film because it gives a history of this mans life. In other words, its not all about his music. But more about the after math of a successful music career gone limp after a few years. The film captures Bill as he is now and then takes you back to when he was most famous. Sting makes a guest appearance in the film. Sting is always nice to see. I really liked the archival footage. I felt like the images really took me back to the moments of the 70's/80's. I mostly liked watching the way Bill interacted with his daughter who, by the way, is a talented singer like her dad. Still Bill is clean fun and such an important film to see because singers from his time will not be around forever.